Can weight stay stable, even with calorie deficit?

alexyashko
alexyashko Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi guys, I have a question about weight loss. I am using a bodymedia fit link, so I am able to see my calorie burn, and I am using MFT to track my calorie intake. I have been using the bodymedia fit for about 2 weeks (15 days), and I ran my reports to see what was going on. Here is what I saw:

On average I am burning 2181 cal/day
On average I am eating 1565 cal/day
My average deficit is 616 a day
8 out of 14 days I ate considerably more fat than MFP has set as my goal, however overall I am getting very close in carbs, fat, and protein to MFP goal.

I am walking for an hour three times a week. I was doing more intense cardio but it seems that anything more than walking at this point really hurts my knee. I am walking at 3.0 at 0-2.5% incline. I also lift weights, with my primary areas being my abs, back, shoulders, chest and triceps.

I am getting enough sleep each night, but I am not over sleeping.

I initially went up in weight when I got the body media, but I went back down to my pre-bodymedia weight and I am not sure if that was an actual gain and loss, or just my body being wonky for a few days.

I am 27, 5'5" and I weigh 175.8. I don't drink a lot of water throughout the day unless I'm working out, mainly because I hate getting up to pee every ten minutes. I have a current waist measurement of 41, which also hasn't decreased at all.

Is there something identifiable in this information that would point to why I am not seeing results? Is it common for it to take several weeks for a body to start dropping weight? Or is there any other help/info you can share. I figured a calorie deficit is a calorie deficit, so walking to get my burn should be okay right?

Replies

  • Pearsquared
    Pearsquared Posts: 1,656 Member
    I think your body is retaining water because you're not drinking enough of it. Don't worry, you'll have to use the bathroom a lot the first few days, but your body will get used to the extra water and you won't have to go as much after that.
  • dangerousdumpling
    dangerousdumpling Posts: 1,109 Member
    Maybe your deficit is too large? Try a 15-20% deficit and see if that helps. Also, are you measuring other parts of your body, too? I have not seen much change in my navel measurement in a while but I've lost inches everywhere else.
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    I wish I had a better answer to give you, but I don't, I just have personal experience. I wore a BodyMedia Fit for two years. In that two years, according to the BMF data, I ate at a deficit 82% of the time, at an average of a 835 cal deficit per day.

    So one would think I'd have lost weight, even if not steadily, at least if have lost something. Instead, over that two years of time, I gained 30 pounds. Yes, 30.

    And I weigh everything and log everything. I spent most of that time cooking my breakfast, lunch, and dinner from scratch every day. While working out six days a week and running races ranging from 5Ks to two half marathons during that time.

    What I'm saying, by relaying this info, is that I have little to no faith in what the BodyMedia Fit was telling me I was burning that whole time. Because I lost weight just using MFP as a guide and that's how I've been losing the weight I put back on. If I had it to do all over again, I'd skip the BMF data and just use MFP and my HRM. I know you already have the BMF, so just consider this a friendly warning to not put 100% faith in the numbers it's giving you.

    Good luck and I hope you can get the scale moving back in the right direction for yourself!
  • Ed98043
    Ed98043 Posts: 1,333 Member
    Also, are you measuring other parts of your body, too? I have not seen much change in my navel measurement in a while but I've lost inches everywhere else.

    This. A lot of people lose weight around their midsection last. My pants are all getting baggy in the butt, but my waist hasn't changed much (maybe an inch) even with 20+ lbs lost.
  • heatherloveslifting
    heatherloveslifting Posts: 1,428 Member
    1) Two weeks is not long enough to really determine.

    2) are you weighing and measuring all of your food and logging every single thing?

    3) I would say if this continues in the long run (more than 4 weeks) you are either overestimating your burn or underestimating your intake.

    Good luck!
  • pcastagner
    pcastagner Posts: 1,606 Member
    No, you are not running an actual deficit. Something is wrong somewhere in your program.
  • lizzardsm
    lizzardsm Posts: 271 Member
    1) Two weeks is not long enough to really determine.

    2) are you weighing and measuring all of your food and logging every single thing?

    3) I would say if this continues in the long run (more than 4 weeks) you are either overestimating your burn or underestimating your intake.

    Good luck!

    THIS ^^^^^
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    1) Two weeks is not long enough to really determine.

    2) are you weighing and measuring all of your food and logging every single thing?

    3) I would say if this continues in the long run (more than 4 weeks) you are either overestimating your burn or underestimating your intake.

    Good luck!

    This.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    1) Two weeks is not long enough to really determine.

    2) are you weighing and measuring all of your food and logging every single thing?

    3) I would say if this continues in the long run (more than 4 weeks) you are either overestimating your burn or underestimating your intake.

    Good luck!

    This.

    Agreed, and I also think there may be some water retention going on.
  • Alta2000
    Alta2000 Posts: 655 Member
    How do you measure your food? Do you weigh everything , eyeball, or measure with cups? What do you eat every day? Do you drink soda? Do you log everything, including fruits and vegetables? You are running a 30% deficit so there is something wrong somewhere here. Can you open your food diary for a day? I think the problem is there.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,454 Member
    I haven't used a BMF, so I don't know if they are prone to estimate correctly or not.

    But

    1. Patience is key with weight loss

    2. If you aren't using a digital scale to weigh all you food, then read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    3. You could always use this site's numbers. Set your goal for "Lose one pound per week" - set your activity level at Active, log all your food and exercise and eat back your exercise calories.

    No matter what you choose, stick with it for at least a month before you decide it isn't working. Without good data, you can't make any meaningful adjustments.
  • acidosaur
    acidosaur Posts: 295 Member
    No, you are not running an actual deficit. Something is wrong somewhere in your program.

    I'd say this is probably true, however it usually takes longer than 2 weeks to notice weight loss anyway, so use MFP and keep at it for a month-6 weeks, then see where that gets you.
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    1) Two weeks is not long enough to really determine.

    2) are you weighing and measuring all of your food and logging every single thing?

    3) I would say if this continues in the long run (more than 4 weeks) you are either overestimating your burn or underestimating your intake.

    Good luck!

    This.

    Agreed, and I also think there may be some water retention going on.

    Yup, could be water retention caused by high sodium or any number of factors.

    Could also be that the OP isn't weighing at a consistent time each day.
  • pcastagner
    pcastagner Posts: 1,606 Member
    No, you are not running an actual deficit. Something is wrong somewhere in your program.

    I'd say this is probably true, however it usually takes longer than 2 weeks to notice weight loss anyway, so use MFP and keep at it for a month-6 weeks, then see where that gets you.

    Good point. I give +/- 5lbs fluctuation error, which if losing 2lbs per week could theoretically show up as a 1 lb gain at the end of two weeks
  • Debbjones
    Debbjones Posts: 278 Member
    My total daily intake of calories should be around 1330... my actual calories consumed ranges between 800 and 1100. My diet virtually never changes, yes the same food nearly every day except for different raw vegetables (e.g. the variable in calories consumed). In addition, there is not much of a variance in my exercise...

    I have been maintaining this diet and exercise regimen for approximately nine months now... I weigh myself daily and except for a fluctuation of 1 pound, my weight DOES NOT change. I am in maintenance mode with a good calorie deficit.

    I believe the answer to your question "Can weight stay stable, even with calorie deficit?" is a big yes!

    It may have something to do with my age, stats (height and weight), BMI, BMR... I don't know... but again, for me I have the data to support yes!
  • conniemaxwell5
    conniemaxwell5 Posts: 943 Member
    I have a Body Media armband and I think it's a little high when it tells you what you've burned.

    I get 20-30 minutes of vigorous activity and 30-60 minutes of moderate activity 5-6 days a week. I am about your size - 5'5" and 169 pounds. My BM tells me my average burn is about 2400 calories so I was eating around 1900-2000 (400-500 calorie deficit, which should have had me losing a pound a week) and would lose .5 pounds every couple of weeks or so. I brought my calories down to 1700-1800 and now am back on track consistently losing .5-1 pound a week. I believe my actual burn is more like 2200.

    2 weeks is a short time to make a judgment call. I would keep going just as you have been for 2 more weeks. If you still don't see any change, drop your calories by 100-200, or increase your activity by that amount to increase your deficit and see if that helps.
  • heatherloveslifting
    heatherloveslifting Posts: 1,428 Member
    My total daily intake of calories should be around 1330... my actual calories consumed ranges between 800 and 1100. My diet virtually never changes, yes the same food nearly every day except for different raw vegetables (e.g. the variable in calories consumed). In addition, there is not much of a variance in my exercise...

    I have been maintaining this diet and exercise regimen for approximately nine months now... I weigh myself daily and except for a fluctuation of 1 pound, my weight DOES NOT change. I am in maintenance mode with a good calorie deficit.

    I believe the answer to your question "Can weight stay stable, even with calorie deficit?" is a big yes!

    It may have something to do with my age, stats (height and weight), BMI, BMR... I don't know... but again, for me I have the data to support yes!

    If you don't know your BMR and TDEE I'm not sure how you know what your calories *should* be. By definition you are not on an actual "deficit" if you are maintaining long term. I'm guessing you are older and quite small based on those numbers though.
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    My total daily intake of calories should be around 1330... my actual calories consumed ranges between 800 and 1100. My diet virtually never changes, yes the same food nearly every day except for different raw vegetables (e.g. the variable in calories consumed). In addition, there is not much of a variance in my exercise...

    I have been maintaining this diet and exercise regimen for approximately nine months now... I weigh myself daily and except for a fluctuation of 1 pound, my weight DOES NOT change. I am in maintenance mode with a good calorie deficit.

    I believe the answer to your question "Can weight stay stable, even with calorie deficit?" is a big yes!

    It may have something to do with my age, stats (height and weight), BMI, BMR... I don't know... but again, for me I have the data to support yes!

    What is your height, weight, and age?
    Do you weigh everything you eat?
    Medical conditions?
  • alexyashko
    alexyashko Posts: 4 Member
    So many great responses! Thank you! Here are my answers to as many questions as I remember.
    -I do eat a lot of sodium 2600mg on average a day.

    -I drink soda, but mostly diet. I've been really good about not drinking regular soda, but I've had two regular cokes this week. I know diet is bad, but it's my vice. I'd rather have soda than chocolate.

    -I am tracking all of my fruits and vegetables (down to the very last cherry).

    -I have a food scale, but I'll be honest it was a cheapy, so it probably isn't the best. Also, there are times that I am estimating my food and not measuring it out. There was a time I was really good at that, but I've slipped a lot so I'll make sure I get back to doing that.

    -I haven't measured other parts of my body, so I'll start doing that.

    -I do know that body media is only 90% accurate, so it is possible that it is over estimating my calorie burn.

    Thanks for all the help, I'll keep at it for sure, and I suppose I can start drinking more water ;)
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I'm older than you, weigh 164 lbs, average activity is about 2150 calories as well, and I eat 1600-1700, and I've been losing weight fine for 3 months. But there are three weeks a month during which I don't lose at all, and even gain 1-2 lbs, then I have my period and lose 5-6 lbs the following week. It's been like this every single month for 4 months now. Weight loss isn't linear, as long as you eat below your TDEE, you WILL lose weight eventually. Even with a 10% margin of error, you're still eating way below your TDEE.

    People who maintain at 1350 a day are the exception, not the rule, and have probably majorly messed up their metabolism.
  • Debbjones
    Debbjones Posts: 278 Member
    I did not say I did not know my BMI or BMR... that I do know (I was not born yesterday! LOL)... I just did not know the actual cause for no weight loss. I think it has something to do with my diet never changing. The food I eat seldom varies (yes, boring I know but I am obsessive compulsive!).

    No, I do not weigh my food, but I am single... I only cook single portions that I purchase premeasured, my calorie count can be off a bit... but with the amount of food I eat I doubt it is off by 30%. My goal is NOT to lose weight, but to maintain. I am just saying, I regularly eat less than the recommended calories... this is the only way I found to not gain my weight back.

    I was just answering the question "Can weight stay stable, even with calorie deficit?". And again, yes for me it can.

    :-)
  • Bridgetthegre
    Bridgetthegre Posts: 85 Member
    By definition, if there is a calorie deficit, there will be weight loss. It there is no weight loss, there is no calorie deficit.

    Calculating a calorie deficit obviously depends on the individual. If you have a low thyroid, or other reason for a low metabolism, you'll burn less calories than the average bear.

    People often do overestimate exercise and underestimate calories. The older you get the less you burn. Body composition has some effect. But the bottom line is input and output. If you take out more than you put in, you lose weight. That calculation may vary depending upon the individual, but it is immutable, invariable, and logically inarguable that input and output are the only real determiners of body weight.

    In all those horrible pictures of people who have experienced long term starvation in concentration camps by various dictators and government entities, have you ever seen a single individual who looks like they've been toodling through Wal-fart on a scooter with a large bucket of fake cheese balls greasily ensconced in the basket?

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